Waffle iron



Feb, 7, 1950 E. A. FARR ETAL 2,436,7Q5

WAFFLE IRON Filed Feb. 26, 1947 INVENTOILS @Wfl/Qfl i Page and Patented Feb. 7, 19 5O WAFFLE IRON Edward A. Farr and John P. Theisen, Columbus, Ind., assignors to Noblitt-Sparks Industries. Inc., Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application February 26, 1947, Serial No. 730,944

The co-pending application of Edward A. Farr, Serial No. 681,406, filed July 3, 1946, discloses an electric cooking appliance comprising two hingedly connected grills with each of which there is removably associated a wafile grid. Heat for cooking is supplied by electrical resistance heating elements respectively associated with the grills which, with the waffle grids removed, can be employed in the performance of a variety of cooking operations. When the waflle grids are in place, they fit in heat-conducting relationship against the grills, and the device may then be used as a wafiie iron.

The present invention is directed to a cooking appliance of the type just described and has for its object the provision of releasable means for holding the wafile grids in association with the grills. A further object of the invention is to produce a grid-holding means which can be simply and economically manufactured and installed, which can be easily operated either to hold the associated waflle grid in place or to release it for removal from the cooking appliance, and which will operate to hold the grid in firm heatconducting relationship with its associated grill.

In carrying out our invention, each of the grills is provided with an outwardly extending flange, and each of the waille grids is provided with an arm which projects outwardly beyond such flange. A retaining element pivoted on the outer end of such arm embodies a cam surface which, by swinging the retaining element, can be brought into engagement with the flange on the grill, to hold the grid and grill firmly clamped together, or released from engagement with the flange, to permit removal of the grill.

The accompanying drawing illustrates our invention: Fig. 1 is a plan view of an electric cooking appliance with the waffle grids in place and the appliance open; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the cooking appliance in closed condition; Fig. 3 is a Iragmental elevation on an enlarged scale in partial section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan view of the upper grill showing the retaining element in operative position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating the retaining element released; and Fig. 6 is a fragmental section on the line 5-6 of Fig. 3.

The cooking appliance illustrated in the drawing comprises upper and lower casing-sections I r and H interconnected by any convenient form of expansible hinge l3. Mounted in the open lower end of the upper casing-section i0 is a grill l4, while a similar grill I is mounted in the open upper end of the lower casing-section ll. Heat 3 Claims. (Cl. 539 372) for cooking operations to be performed on opposed faces of the grills M and i5 is derived from electrical resistance heating elements It mounted above the upper grill and below the lower grill. Upper and lower waflle grids I! and I8 are removably associated with the grills Id and i5 and are arranged to be disposed in effective heattransmitting relationship therewith whereby heat from the heating elements It, conducted to the grids H and [8 through the grills l4 and I5, ma

be employed for the baking of waffles.

For the purpose of holding the upper wafile grid I! in association with the upper grill l4, it is provided on opposite sides with outwardly projecting arms 20. Conveniently, each of such arms is formed as a strip of sheet metal seated in a groove in the outer face of the waflle grid and secured in such groove as by means of a screw 2|. Each of the arms 20 projects outwardly beyond the adjacent side of the grill I 4 and is there provided with an opening for the reception of a pivot pin or bolt 22 through the medium of which a clip 23 is pivotally mounted on the arm 20. Desirably, the clip 23 is of a general U-shape embracing the arm 20, with the pivot pin 22 eX- tending through parallel legs of the U and with such legs being spaced apart a distance materially greater than the thickness of the arm 28. A compression spring 24 surrounding the pivot pin 22 acts between the arm 20 and the clip 23 to urge the latter downwardly and hold the upper leg thereof in contact with the arm 20. The upper leg of the clip 23 is provided with an extension 25 adapted to engage above a flange 26 which is formed on the upper grill M and which projects outwardly beyond the side wall of the upper casing-section Ill.

The clip 23 may be swung between a position, illustrated in Fig. 4, in which the extension 25 engages the upper surface of the flange 2t, and a position, such as that illustrated in Fig. 5, in which the extension is free from engagement with such flange. When in the former position, the clip operates to hold the grid I! firmly in association with the grill I 4, but when the clip is swung to clear the flange the waffle grid may be readily removed. Desirably, the lower surface of the extension 25 is made convex downwardly, as indicated in Fig. 6, to act as a cam and to facilitate its engagement with the flange 26. The spring 24 compensates for manufacturing variations, the construction being such that the spring 24 will be stressed somewhat when the clip is engaged.

Clip-supporting arms 20' and clips 23' may be provided on the lower grid i8 for co-operation with a flange 21 on the lower grill l5. When clips are used on both the upper and lower wailie grids, they are desirably located in different vertical planes so as to avoid interference between the clips on the upper grid and the clips on the lower grid when the device is closed, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. As shown, the clips 23' on the lower grid are located on the front and rear edges thereof, while the clips 23 on the upper grids are located on the side edges thereof; but it will be understood that other arrangements avoiding interference are possible.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a cooking applianceaagrill-having amoking surface, means for heating said grill, a waffle grid adapted to be seated onand in heat-transmitting relationship with said grill, and means for holding said grid in place on said grill, said means comprising a flange on the grill, an arm secured to said grid and projecting outwardly ibeyondsaid fiangaand a latch member pivotally :mounted'on :said arm on an axis perpendicular toithe planeof saidgrid and swingable-into and ,outof-grid-retaining engagementwithsaid flange.

2. :In a cooking appliance, a grill having a cook- .ing-surface, means for heating said grill, a wafile 'gridadapted to be seated on and in heat-transmitting-relationship with said grill, and means .for holding said-gridiniplaceon saidgrill, said means comprising an abutment von the grill, an

'for'holding said grid in place on said grill, said means comprising an abutment on the grill, an

arm secured to said grid and projecting outwardly therefrom, and a latch member pivotally mounted onvsaidarmon an axis perpendicular to the plane of said grid and swingable into and out of gridretaining engagement with said abutment.

EDWARD A. FARR. JOHN P. THEISEN.

REFEEENQES CITED The following references are of record in'the .filc of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,214,486 Wright Jan. .30, 319,177 30 1,900, 61.) Snyder Mar. 7, 1933 

